Iwoke up with a tingling ache between my legs.
Rolling onto my back, I bumped into someone, and my eyes shot open. My initial reaction made me flinch. I’d never awoken with anyone in my bed, but when a strong arm wrapped around my middle and pulled me back across the mattress, cooing in my ear, a soothing calmness came over me.
With it came the most seductive, masculine scent that made everything in the world feel as if it would be alright. I could breathe easily knowing I wasn’t alone, and he could hold me up while the rest of the world tried to tear me down. Of course, the reaction scared me, yet I didn’t want to let go of it.
I twisted my head around to the gorgeous mountainous man who had my pulse racing.
“Aspen,” I purred, a sound I seemed to be making more often, which was new to me.
Full lips pulled into a tranquil smile, and turquoise eyes glinted from the outside light. He appeared wide awake while sleep still clung to my eyes, leaving me wondering how long he’d been waiting for me to wake up.
“Have you been watching me?”
“Did you think I would leave your side after you experienced your first knotting? I’m not a savage, little Omega.”
I blinked at him, then over at the window where the light dimmed.
“How long have I been out of it?”
“A while.”
“And you stayed by the side the whole time?”
“Of course.” His grasp squeezed lightly, and his smile widened. “Now, how are you feeling?”
With his fingers gently drawing swirls on my hip, my breaths picked up, and I glanced down to where my dress had ridden up to my hips. I had on nothing underneath, and while I should have gasped, a delicious shiver coated me that Aspen enjoyed my company.
A purr slipped from my mouth once more when I attempted to speak, and with it came my faint fruity scent. I’d just perfumed, which, apparently, didn’t take long when it came to an Alpha caressing me.
“I must have been incredible this morning.” He chuckled, his hot breath on my cheek as he cradled me. His large hand splayed across my hip, fingers digging into my skin with his own desperation as the thick ridge of his cock poked against my rear.
I nodded, finding it hard to speak while my body hummed with the tune of his grinding hips. His hand slid up my body and curled under my jawline, turning my head to face him in a move that was dominating, yet tender.
“You don’t need to be shy around me. So, tell me, little Omega, are you sore from my knotting?”
Staring into those soulful eyes, I half-expected to find mirth or something mocking behind them, but all I found was a sincerity that surprised me.
“A little.”
I tried not to blush about what we’d done, but the ache was there, deep inside me from where he’d stretched me and filled me with his cum. When I closed my eyes, I could almost feel him inside me, taking up every inch. I couldn’t express how badly I wanted more of him, but evidently my body was trying as my pelvis rocked against him.
“I’ll have to take care of that,” he whispered in my ear, his lips on my earlobe sending delicious shivers down my body.
“W-What does that mean?” My breath wedged in my chest.
“You’ll see,” he groaned, moving down the bed, leaving my side. His hands went to my hips and rolled me onto my back, then he tenderly trailed the pads of his fingers up my bent legs to my knees, which were pressed tightly together. The harder I squeezed, the more the fire of desire and the burning ache flared.
His gaze never leaving me, he took a deep inhale, filling his lungs with my growing scent.
“I had no idea an Omega’s perfume could be as sexy as yours. When I’m not with you, I think of nothing else, like you’ve taken residence in my mind and soul.”
I looked up at him through my eyelashes, my chest rising and falling quickly. The moment he pried open my legs, the intensity of my heat hit me. Lying on the bed, writhing, the slick of my arousal slipped over my folds.
He paused for a moment, his gaze lowering to between my thighs, which had me in a panic that he wouldn’t like what he saw now that he looked at me properly and we weren’t balancing in a hot-air balloon. I had been so glad to finally be down from that thing. Aspen had carried me inside, where I fell asleep almost instantly.
“Absolutely beautiful,” he murmured. His tongue slid out from his mouth, dragging across his bottom lip, and looking every part the hungry wolf.
Whatever doubts I had moments earlier faded away, taken over as a burning blush covered my whole body.
He spread my legs wider, completely exposing me, and I moaned from the aching need building within me. Half the time I couldn’t tell if my desire was pure lust or my heat since it was all a tangled mess in my head, but as he leaned forward, nothing else in the world mattered except this moment in time.
“Let me kiss it better where it hurts. Let me make you feel something other than the ache.”
I trembled at his words, at the growing need when he licked me in long, slow strokes and savored every inch of me. Moaning, I craved his touch right there, deep inside of me. His tongue plunged into my opening—demanding—and the wet sounds he made turned me on crazily.
His hands pressed on the insides of my tight, pushing me wide as he shuffled closer, his growls deepening. I rocked my hips, pushing my pussy against his face as wave after wave of pleasure rippled over me.
“More, please… I need more,” I groaned, my hands fisting the bedsheets. When he broke away, I lifted my head to find him looking at me as he licked his glistening lips.
“I’m not going to fuck right now, little Omega, but I’m going to kiss your sweet, tender pussy to bring you the relief you need. The first few times we knot in you, it will hurt, but then you’ll feel no pain, I promise you. Now, lift your shirt up so I can see those gorgeous breasts.”
A groan brushed over my throat as my trembling hands tugged the fabric of my dress up and over my chest. His eyes lingered on my tightly beaded nipples and hazed over with lust.
“God, you’re so beautiful, so innocent. I love seeing you blush as I suck you off. Now, be a good girl and pull on those pebbled nipples. Show me how you turn yourself on.” His thick tongue twirled between my folds before assaulting my clit.
Shocked, I gasped when he devoured me. Gently, he slipped a finger into me, and my pussy clamped down on it, sucking on it and making needy, erotic sounds.
I pinched my nipples, and my back bowed. Teasing my clit, his mouth pushed hard against it, and the pressure of his teeth on the tender flesh brought me closer…closer…
“Aspen,” I moaned, the tightness in my stomach too much to bear. The orgasm ripped out of me like a tidal wave, and I screamed with its torture, shuddering as I came all over his mouth. He lapped it up, taking all of it, his eyes never leaving mine as he licked me like a beast.
With my head pressed back against the pillow, my chest thrust forward, and my legs spread, I kept screaming from the euphoric fire burning through me. His mouth was magic, never relenting, sucking and licking every last drop. Even when I finally collapsed on the bed, gasping for breath, he kept taking long strokes, keeping me open, his finger inside me.
The sight of the blond god bent between my legs, eating me, had me rising on another crescendo of arousal. His pace quickened, and I whined, grinding against him once more, unable to believe how quickly I was back up again, demanding more.
“You’re devious,” I groaned between panted breaths, sweat coating my brow.
His eyes grinned, glinting like the brightest tropical waters, and when he laughed, his hot breath against my drenched folds only drove me wilder.
“You have me so worked up, little Omega. Be a good girl, and cum in my mouth again,” he muttered, then dove back in, bringing me to an ecstasy I never knew existed.
Flashes of his words pulsed across my mind as I lay completely under his control. He owned me at that moment, and he knew it. I’d do anything he asked for the pleasure he brought me.
His grip tightened on my spread thighs as my fingers worked on my nipples. His tongue should be worshipped for the things it did. It sent me off the edge so fast, the second time I burst with orgasm, the room spun from how hard I came.
Thrashing, I cried out as my slick dripped out of me.
“Fuck,” Aspen grunted and hastily got to his knees between my legs, palming his huge shaft. Thick streams of cum exploded from his cock, splashing onto my stomach and chest. Droplets hit my face, and I licked the ones on my lips, the salty, sweet taste captivating. It felt warm against my skin, sticky, and he growled as he pumped out more and more cum.
Still shaking from my second orgasm, I gripped the pillows. Aspen and I sang our tunes of climax, loving how intimate this felt between us.
When the final drop spilled onto me, he grinned and ran his hand through his cum, spreading it across my stomach, then up and over my breasts, covering every inch of my torso.
“Cum is said to be a healthy moisturizer for skin,” he said on a raspy breath as I rather enjoyed the smoothness of his touch over my body. “And it should also help calm your heat with my scent.”
I smirked up at him. “And it has nothing to do with keeping anyone else away from me?”
He barked out a laugh, his head tilting back, and he made the most gorgeous sound I’d ever heard. How could an Alpha sound so enticing, I had flashes of me pregnant with his child and wanting it so desperately, it hurt.
“Little Omega, I will always share everything with my pack, especially an Omega as gorgeous as you to make us a complete family, but there will be days where I’ll be a selfish asshole and want you completely for myself. To hide you away from them so all you can smell is me on you, so every time you think of me your pussy pulses and drenches your panties.”
“The things you Alphas say makes me blush.” I swallowed hard. “I’m not used to being so admired, talking about sex, and seeing so much cock.” That time, I laughed out loud.
Moving from between my legs, he sat beside me and cupped the side of my face.
“I promise you will get used to it and will feel like you can’t breathe without us.”
I gasped, knowing I craved their touch and so much more already.
“How can it get more intense?”
“Don’t worry about that. For now, get some rest.” He tugged the bedsheet up and over my body. “Your body is using up a lot of energy, so you need to stay in bed.” Leaning in, he claimed my lips.
The kiss was gentle and sweet, the kind I’d expect from the man I loved, not someone I have barely met. Though the things I knew about Omegas and Alphas was that when they met, it was like an explosion of fireworks in the night sky.
For a long moment, I almost forgot I was with three Alphas’ who’d stolen me from my life. While I might crave and enjoy them, what would happen if my past found out where I was?
I berated myself for thinking of such things during such a blissful moment. I couldn’t think about that, not as I fell deeply under Aspen’s kiss. I allowed myself to pretend I had a future with this pack, which came with a happily ever after.
Yet the past crept forward like a shadow, and thoughts of Bakewell and the Institute buzzed in my mind, reminding me someone like me rarely had anything good happen in their life.
“What has you smiling like that, girl?” Thelma asked from the doorway as I stood in front of the window, staring out the sunlight and how warm it felt on my face. “Has one of them finally knotted you?”
My cheeks heated up. I’d not grown up talking about knotting and sex. Things Bakewell told us we’d learn later, which I realized now never came. She was more fascinated with controlling all the information we girls were exposed to and selling us as innocently as possible to Alphas. I remembered something I once heard a visiting Alpha asked her when they didn’t know I was eavesdropping from around the corner.
“How much does she know about being an Omega?” he demanded.
“Krys knows very little, I give you my word,” Bakewell assured.
“Good. That’s how my clients want them.”
I tensed thinking back to everything Ms. Bakewell kept from us. She took away our rights, our freedom. The less we knew, the less we questioned, then she sold us to whoever paid the most, even if they were monsters.
The longer I stayed at the mansion with the Alphas, the more I dreaded ever returning to the Institute. I hated her for treating us that way, for not caring that Omegas like my friend, Frannie, had gone missing. Sharpness dug into my chest at not knowing where she was, or how Adella and Charity were doing.
When I faced Thelma, her white brows were knotted between her eyes as she scanned me, then a softness washed over her face.
“You don’t have to tell me anything, but if you have any questions, I’m here for you. But I know that look in your eyes that Omegas get after being knotted.” She grinned, studying me with an approving expression, which I wasn’t expecting. “Come keep me company while I start dinner.”
I trailed after her out of the bedroom, feeling semi-normal after a few additional hours of sleep. I woke up with no sign of Aspen, though his scent coated me—literally, as I still hadn’t taken a shower after he’d covered me in my cum.
Strangely, I had no desire to wash it off me. Where he’d rubbed it on me, my skin seemed softer, so maybe he was onto something about his moisturizing cum. My nostrils filled with his muscadine grapes and fruity scent, and beneath it, a masculine smell that sent a buzz to between my legs.
I couldn’t get him out of my mind—the way he kissed my soreness, not pushing me to have sex so I could feel better. I wasn’t used to someone caring about me so much.
Finally, we reached the kitchen, a large room with an oversized burning stone hearth against the far wall, warming the place. All the latest appliances and gadgets filled the space, sky blue tiles were on the walls, the floor was white, and a middle island counter had a rack of pots suspended over it. I could have easily stepped into a photo from a magazine. Everything looked perfect.
We took cooking classes at the Bakewell Institute For Girls, but they were run from a communal classroom with freestanding small stoves and a single table as our prep counter. Nothing compared to this. I might have gasped as I spun on the spot to take in the kitchen.
Thelma chuckled and pulled out a stool from the island counter and patted it.
“Take a seat and tell me which Alpha made your eyes sparkle from your first knot? And just so you know, it’s alright to be scared. I was a complete mess when I first started going into heat.”
“Aspen. He’s been so kind to me since I arrived here and around him, it’s like I have no control.”
“Ah, yes, that boy has a heart of gold, and that’s exactly how you should be feeling. He is bonding with your Omega side. Males are born either Alpha or Beta, while some females are special and come into Omega. The only way to tame her is by bonding with Alphas by knotting and marking you.” She tied a white apron around her waist and moved to the fridge across the room.
My mind spun with the notion of being marked and owned by Alphas. Some days, I wondered if being an Omega was more a curse than a blessing.
“Will I get pregnant right away?” I started, then cleared my throat, wondering if that was too forward a question to ask.
“Not every Omega gets pregnant on her first time. Not even when she has a pack servicing her. It might take a few heat cycles, even a few years, before she gets pregnant.” The woman paused as she took a large roast out of the fridge and turned toward the counter. “Back in my day, it was more common, but with the next generation, something happened. I think it was the war between the countries, that some chemical was spread we weren’t informed about, which impacted the number of females who became Omegas, then fell pregnant.”
I didn’t know a lot about the war that started the year before I was born, but I knew it was still going on at the borders of the country, from all sides. It was far enough away that most of us didn’t have to worry about it, but I’d always been curious what caused it, and why it was still going on, considering we weren’t permitted to watch the news at the Institute.
“You think I might not be able to fall pregnant?” I asked, hoping that wasn’t what she meant. I didn’t want to have a child right away, but eventually, I did want kids and finally have a family I never had.
“I think you have a better chance of getting pregnant by Daniel than you do the Alphas. The problem might actually be the Alphas, not the Omegas.” Thelma turned back to me after she had the roast in a pan and had started cutting up vegetables. “The Alphas in control don’t want to admit it, but that’s my suspicion. Omegas can get pregnant from Betas. We were told Omegas shouldn’t mate with Betas because children would not be produced, but as we know now, that’s simply not true. Life finds a way. Babies from an Omega and Beta will never become an Omega or Alpha. They will be seen as equal to a Beta in status.” Her face grew deeply lined, then she returned to her chopping.
“I don’t want to have a baby right now. I only just found out I’m an Omega. I haven’t had a chance to really explore the world. And I have to find my friend.” I felt heat rush up my chest as I realized how long I’d been away from my friends. Everything felt fast. Earlier my mind went to babies too, and it scared me.
Thelma didn’t respond right away, and when she did, it came with a sigh.
“One is never ready to become an Omega and go into heat because it’s not something we can train for. All the explanations in the world won’t prepare you for the reality of emotions and cravings you face every day, leading up to your heat finally breaking.” She returned to chopping vegetables, humming to herself.
The longer I remained, the more restless I felt.
“I think I’ll go upstairs and rest,” I suggested, sliding off the stool.
“Of course. Dinner will be ready in a couple hours. Rest for what’s coming next, Trinity. You’ll need all the rest you can get.” Thelma looked at me with a clear gaze, nothing there but the same candid look, which honestly terrified me of what was coming my way.
Regardless of how I felt, I smiled and thanked her for the information. I knew there was more I should ask her, but for now, I retreated from the kitchen.
The corridors and rooms were empty. No voices or sounds, which had me walking right past my room and down the corridor to explore more of the mansion. Bare walls, decorative brass lighting fixtures, and long rugs were all I found. Out of curiosity, I tried opening one door, but it was locked, which shouldn’t have surprised me. Around the corner, where light poured in through an arched window, I spotted a door sitting ajar. I moved forward before I knew better.
I barely knew anything about these Alphas aside from how they made me wild with lust. After learning Shadow was related to one of the city’s powerful Mafia families, I had to know if they were in the same business of crime. If I was going to be stuck here for the time being, shouldn’t I know the devils I lived with?
Pausing at the door, I peered inside and found the room empty. I released the breath I’d been holding and slipped into a study. Every piece of furniture was made of mahogany wood—the desk beneath the oversized window, the bookshelves, the glass cabinet filled with bottles of whiskey, even the black leather couch in front of the fireplace had mahogany feet. Elaborate abstract paintings in thick, gold frames adorned the wallpapered walls, and lush, dark carpet sank beneath my feet. Wriggling my toes in its soft threads, I wondered who owned this room. My bets were on Shadow. I could easily picture a Mafia godfather sitting in here, smoking a fat cigar while dishing out hits on his enemies.
Of course, I hoped that wasn’t what Shadow did, but I was about to find out.
My gaze landed on a black, old-fashioned phone on the desk next to a laptop. Anticipation twirled in my stomach at the possibility of finally contacting my friends. I quickly checked the door, then lunged for the phone, frantically dialing the Institute payphone, which we would be permitted to use if we paid Ms. Bakewell for a calling card. We’d have to pay for it from the money we got from the state each month, but Adelle had one, which she’d used to speak to her mother. I just prayed she was in her room when they beckoned her to the phone. I was ready to deepen my voice to sound like her mother and to avoid being recognized.
Picking up the phone receiver, I punched in the numbers in the keypad. A female voice had just answered when a sound made me look up to the doorway.
Viper burst into the room, a growl in his throat.
At the sight, my blood turned cold.
It all happened too fast.
He snatched the phone out of my hand.
“What the fuck are you doing?” he snarled, flecks of darkness consuming his evergreen eyes as his face reddened.
My heart shuddered, and panic curled around my chest.
Fuck.
